Floor cleaner



April 1941- w. c. JEROME 2,237,830

FLOOR CLEANER Filed May 21, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet l Mk? 6? Jrome A ril 8, 1941.

W. C. JEROME FLOOR CLEANER Filed May 21, 1936 4* Sheets-Sheet 2 April 8, 1941. i w. c. JEROME 2.237.830

' FLOOR CLEANER Filed May 21, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 wwmw ' Patented Apr. 8, 1941 PAT-aura OFFICE.

FLOOR CLEANER Walter 0. Jerome, Worcesiir, Mall.

Appllcation May 21,

6" Claims.

The present invention relates to a floor treating machineand particularly to a machine capable of performing several different operations, such as washing and drying floors and rugs.

'vacuum cleaning rugs, and waxing and sanding floors.

Up to the present, separate devices hav 2 necessarily been provided for each of the several floor treating operations enumerated, and it a home was completely equipped, a large investment was involved in. providing the several difierent devices. The disadvantages of owning and storing a plurality of devices is readily apparent and the principal object of the present invention isaccordingly to provide a unlversally'useiul device by which a plurality of different fioor treating operations can be performed.

In prior devices for use in vacuum cleaning, the dust is separated from the air used in cleaning' by passing the air through a filtering bag which must be cleaned frequently or thrown away after use in order to maintain an eflicient cleaning action. Cleaning of the bag is not a pleasant task and it the bags are thrown away, a considerable expense is involved in the pur-, chase 'of new filtering bags. One of the objects oi the present invention is to avoid these disadvantages by using a relatively inexpensive filtering medium, the frequent replacement of which will involve almost no expense.

The filtering of the dust from the air in the conventional vacuum cleaner necessitates the passage of air through the filter medium on which the dust is constantly accumulating. "llhus, as the filter medium becomes more and more saturated with dust, the cleaning action of the medium is diminished and the air pressure rehuired in forcing air through the medium is' increased. A further object of the present invention resides in providing for the collection of dust, which is filtered from the air, in a receptacle separate from the filtering medium, so that the lattenremains relatively clean and the air used in cleaning does not pass through a layer of collected dust before it is filtered.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on a large scale through a part of the device of Fig. 1.

1m', was... cause, (CI. 15-91 Fig. 3 is a vertical section substantially along the line 3-4 of Fig. 2."

Fig. 4 is a plan view' looking into. the dust collector, the cover ior'the device having been re ;moved.

' Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation with ture for driving the brush.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section show- 1 ing the movement of air around the brush; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section similar-to Fig. 6, showing a modification. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of part of the hinge I connection for of Fig. 9.

- Fig. 9 is a sectional view through the hinge at right angles to the section oi Fig. line 9! of Fig. 8.

Fig. 101s a sectional view. through mechanism which drives the brush.-

Fig. 11 is a sectional 'view through one of the brushes.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view showing the attachment of the dust collector to the remainder oi *.the device, the left part being along the line" lZ-IZ of Fig. 6, and the right the line Ha-lia of Fig. 6.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view through the air dis- DB-rts broken awayto' show a part ot the mac--- a part of the charge at the end of the moton'as along the line 30. l3-ll (if-F13. 14.

Fig. 14 is a sectional view alon the line H-H I Of Fi 13. p Q

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modification showing the means for applying water in the washing of iloors or rugs.

Fig. 16 is a side elevation of the parts in section of the device or Fig. 15.

Fig. 1'7 is a side elevation'ot the structure by which the elevation of the brush above the floor 4.0 may be controlled. I

Fig. 18 is an end view of the structure of Fig. 17.

Fig. 19 is a section through a sanding drum for attachment" to the device when sanding floors. Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures. M

Referring ilrstto Fig. 1, the device comprises a base I supported one; pair of wheels 2 adjacent the front and an adjustable rear wheel 8. Hingedly connected tothe'base is the cover .l which extends over the dust collecting device 5 which also has a forward continuation 6 torming a hood for the brushes. A vacuum is pro vided by an'electric motor auction I hinged to the base I, this motor-being of a type which the device, as along the line H 8, along the part" being along passes the air directly therethrough, or which passes the air therearound from one end to the other, as for example. the motor and fan arrangement of the Edstrom Patent No. 2,029,813, dated February 4, 1936. A handle 8 is connected to the discharge .end of the motor I and is hollow to direct air from the motor through the handle and a flexible hose 9 to an air intake It on the base of the machine. There is accordingly no discharge of air from the device into the atmosphere of the room since the air which is drawn from adjacent the brushes II is carried upwardly through the cover 4 to the fan carried in the housing 1' forming part of the motor I and is then discharged through the flexible hose 9 back to the base of the machine where it is directed forwardly, as will hereinafter appear, and escapes adjacent to the brush.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the brushes II are driven from the motor I, the projecting shaft l2 of which has a pulley If on the end thereof. The pulley I3 is connected to a pulley l4 on the end of a shaft l5 by a belt it which is guided by spaced pulleys I'I, only one of which is shown, carried by a shaft ll' journaled in a bracket l8 secured to the rear wall of the base I. The center of rotation of the pulleys l'l coincides with the axis of the hinge connection between the motor 1 and the base, hereinafter described in detail, and permits relative movement therebetween. The belt It, being of rubber, is allowed to stretch to such an extent as to permit the desired movement of the motor. The shaft I5 is mounted in a tube I! which provides a bearing surface for the shaft adjacent to the pulley l4, the tube being inclined downwardly toward the front of the device, as shown. The forward end of the shaft carries a worm which, as shown in Fig. 10, is in mesh with a worm gear 2| secured to a sleeve 22 journalled in bearings 23 provided by housings 24 and 25 secured to an annular member 25. The member 25 is attached to a transverse member 21, Fig. 2, which is secured to the base I, said member 21 having a notch 28 centrally thereof to receive the tube [9.

Referring now to Figs. 10 and 11, the sleeve 22 has secured inside thereof a pin 29 having a notch 30 in each end thereof. The brush 3| has an axial recess 32 in one end thereof, in which is located the inner end of the brush shaft 33, the latter projecting through the brush and having a short protruding end 34 on the outside thereof. The inner end of the shaft has a tongue 35 engageabie with the notch 30 and the diameter of the shaft 33 is such as to provide a relatively tight fit with the sleeve 22. The brushes are accordingly removable from the device to provide for the substitution of different types of brushes or of sanding rolls, Fig. 19, and, when in position, are positively driven from the same motor that operates the fan to provide the desired sue-- tion. Bristles 35 are suitably attached to the brush and are of a sufficient length to extend downwardly below the lower edge 31 of the base.

The height of the brush above the floor is adjusted by raising or lowering the rearward edge of the base. As above stated, the base is sup ported adjacent its front end by rollers 2 on opposite sides of the base, said rollers being carried by brackets 38 secured to said base in back of the brush support. As best shown in Figs. 17 and 18, the rearward wall of the base I has projecting webs 39 in which is journalled a shaft 40, the left hand end 4| being offset and carrying a threaded adjusting screw 42. The latter passes through aasaeso a lug 43 on the side wall of the base and is engaged by an adjusting nut 44. The shaft carries spaced parallel arms 45 supporting a bar 44 on which is journalled the rear roller 3, the latter being axially slidable on the bar. Adjustment of the nut 44 will accordingly raise or lower the roller 3 and thereby raise or lower thefront end of the device.

Referring now to Figs. 8 and 9,- the motor is connected to the base by a hinge construction comprising a brace 41 extending rearwardly from the base and having an opening 45 through the upper end thereof. Although two of these braces are provided adjacent opposite edges of the rear wall, only one is shown. as each of the hinges is a duplicate of the other. For each hinge the cover 4 has a rearwardly extending portion 45 which has an opening in axial alinement with the opening 45, the portion 49 being connected to the cover by a channel 5|, through which air may pass. For each hinge the lower end of the fan housing 'I' has a downwardly extending portion 52 which is hollow and has a cylindrical opening 53 in axial alinement with the openings 48 and 50. A sleeve 54 is positioned within the openings 48, 50 and 53 and has a pin 55 which prevents turning movement of said sleeve relative to the portion 48 of the cover, thereby keeping an opening 58 in the sleeve in alinement with the channel 5|. A cap 51 is positioned on the end of'the portion 49 to prevent the entrance of air. Accordingly the vacuum set up in the housing I by the fans is transmitted through the hinge to the cover, as will be apparent.

As best shown in Figs, 2 and 3, the collecting device 5 includes a collecting chamber 58 in the form of a pan, which fits within the base of the device, in back of the member 21,. and has an outwardly extending flange 59 at its upper edge which rests on the upper edges of the base. On

the upper edge of the flange 58 is a compressible packing 50 engageable with the cover, and a second strip 8| of compressible packing beneath the flange 58 seals the connection between the chamvber 58' and the base. The forward edge of the collecting chamber rests on the member 21 and extends therebeyond and over the brushes. the extreme forward end 5| thereof being positioned forwardly of the center of the brush, as shown. Integral with the collecting chamber and forming a part of the collecting device 5 is a hood 52 which extends downwardly in front of the brush and has its lower end 83 substantially parallel to tion.

and forwardly of the lower edge of the brush, although preferably spaced slightly thereabove to allow the brush to engage the rug or floor. The end 63 is spaced from the forward edge 31 of the lower wall of the base to provide an opening 54 through which the brush may project for engagement with the floor or rug.

The hood 62 extends rearwardly above and in spaced relation to the end 8| of the collecting chamber and the rearward edge of the hood '2 is located horizontally beneath the forward edge of the cover 4 with a portion of the packing ll easement between the hood and said member. The plates I are held away from the side walls I by resilient packing ll which allows the plates II to move slightly in accommodating the hood to the remainder of the device. It will be apparent that when the cover is swung upwardly out of operative position. the collecting device I may be removed as a 'unit. since it is not permanently attached to the base, thus providing for emptying the collecting chamber.

The cover has a horizontal screen 81 secured therein, as by the cleats it, to form a support for a .web of filtering material I. such as felt. or other substance suitable for the purpose. 'I'lns filtering material corresponds in area substantially to the area of the cover and the outer edges thereof are clamped between the cover and the packing ill when the cover is closed. The vacuum.

removes the dust and dirt therefrom. As the dust .will not adhere in large quantities to the underside of the filtering material it dropsofl and is collected in the collecting chamber from which it can be removed at any time by raising the cover and removing the collecting device.

As shown in Fig. 1, the cover is normally held in closed position on the device by clamps It on opposite sides thereof. Each clamp comprises a clamping screw I I pivoted on a lug I! extending outwardly from the side wall of the base. The clamping screw projects through a notched lug III on the cover, and an adjusting nut I4 on the clamping screw permits adjustment of the cover andrelease thereof for opening the device.

The air passing through the device goes around the brush and through the passage way between the" forward end SI of the collecting chamber and the hood 62 into the collecting chamber. From the chamber the air passes throughthe filtering medium and the hinges to the fan and is then discharged selectively through the hollow handle 8 or through ports at the end of the motor and fan unit. As best shown in Figs. 13

and 14., the end of the motor and fan has seis closed by a pivotally mounted cover 80 carriedby a pin ll in a boss 82 projecting from the end of the motor. The cover 80 has a slot 03 engageable with a pin 84 secured to the plate I! and turning movement of the plate II to close the openings 16 will procure a corresponding swinging movement of the cover 80 to uncover the end-of the handle 8. The plate I1 is held in proper position within the hood 1-! by engagement between the flanges I9 and the end of the motor housing.

The tapered handle end is held resiliently within the bore 1'! by a spring pressed ball 'll' engaging with a recess 1-8 in the handle. I'I'he plate I1 is resiliently held against turning by a spring plate 11. These recesses I! locatetheplate .ll with the openings I! selectively fully open or entirely closed.

As above stated, the device is adapted to the cleaning of walls or furniture by the removal of the handle I from engagement with the plate H and the positioning of small cleaning implements on the endof the handle. In order to obtain the desired suction at the end of the handle when using the device for cleaning in this manner, a plate N. Fig. 8, is mounted to be swung into the opening through which the brush normally engages the floor. The plate is arcuate, as shown in Fig. 8, and has projecting ears It at opposite ends thereof for engagement with plus i! in the depending side walls I! of the hood. These pins 81 are positioned above the axis of rotation of the brushes so that the plate .when swung downwardly into a position to close the cleaning opening will engage the ends of the bristles of the brush and at the same time will extend entirely across the opening, as shown in full lines in Fig. 6. One of the pin II has an arm 3, Fig. 12, on the outer end thereof with a spring pressed plunger I! on the endof the arm to hold the plate against swinging movement.

The arm provides a means for turning the plate from the position shown in Fig. 6 to that of Fig.

12, in a position vertically above the brush and position of Fig. 7 forwardly of the brushes and' with the upper edge of the plate engaging with the forward end of the plate 8|, the position being shown in dot-dash lines, Fig. 6. In this posi-'- tion, the plate 85 provides a relatively narrow orifice '8. which directs a suflicient vacuum to the" opening through which the brush engages the floorto assure the removal of water therefrom. In the washing of floors the forward end '63 of the hood has attached thereto a plate 9| having a squeegee 92 on the lower edge thereof. The plate ll is held in position by spring clips '93 and the rubber squeegee 82, which engages the floor as the cleaner is moved over it; removes any excess water from the floor.

When the device is used for door or rug washing or drying, a supply of water is placed in the collecting chamber 58 from which it is drawn by the mechanism shown in Figs. 15 and 16. With reference to these figures, the rear wall of the collecting chamber has an opening '94 through which a pipe 85 projects, the latter having a right angle bend therein so that the end of the pipe is located adjacent to the bottom wall of the collecting chamber. The end of the pipe outside of the collecting chamber is connected to a second pipe M by a suitable joint 91 which permits turning movement of the pipe 96. The pipe It is bent substantially centrally at a right angle and the end of the pipe 98 has secured thereto a cup 88 having a small opening 99 therethrough adjacent to the opening in the end of the pipe. The cup N is positioned in a vertical passage way I ll provided by the connecting member l0 and as air passes from the hose 8 into the member -II the pressure of the air against the cup ll swings the pipe 9! from its normal or dotted line position of Fig. 15 into the full line position of that figure. Air passing through the opening t! creates enough of a vacuum at the end of the pipe II to draw water from within the collectpressed plunger 15' located in the hood II and 7 ing chamber and direct it beneath said chamber engtleable' with either of two recesses .13 in the to the brushes. As soon as the air supply through the hose 8 is cut off by stopping the motor, the pipe 86 is again returned to the dotted line position of Fig. 15, as by a spring ill, to prevent discharge of water from the collecting chamber while the device is inoperative.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the device is useful as a fioor cleaner and washer, and also as a rug washer, as well as being adapted for use in cleaning furniture or the walls of a room'where a small portable cleaning tool is desirable.

The device may also operate as a sander by the the brushes shown in the other figures. With reference to this figure, the sanding drum comprises a cup shaped element l 02 having a spindle I03 extending through the base thereof. The cup is large enough to extend over the sleeve on the members Hand 25, and the spindle has a tongue I03 corresponding to the tongue 36. The edge of the cup has a projecting flange II, and surrounding the cup are rubber annuli I05. Rubber disks I06 surround the spindle I503 outside of the cup and the nut I01 on the threaded end of the spindle engages with a washer I08 for compressing the rubber disks and annuli. Compression of the disks by tightening the nut expands them to fit tightly within a cylinder of sanding paper I09. Two of these sanding disks are provided, and the suction produced by the fan picks up the dust from the sanding operation and collects it all in the collecting chamber.

The sanding disk, or the brush, rotates with the surface engaging the floor moving toward the portion 63 of the hood so that the periphery of the disk, or brush, is' moving in the same direction as the air being blown onto and drawn from the fioor. The nozzle which directs the air onto the floor is located adjacent to the floor and directs the air substantially tangentially of the said base and chamber defining a slot adapted to be closely spaced from the surface being cleaned and a passage from said slot to the pan in the chamber, a'cover positioned above the collecting chamber, a filtering member positioned between the collecting chamber and cover, a fan connected to the cover for applying suction to the inside thereof, a rotary brush carried by the base and engageable with the fioor through the slot, and means for directing water from within the collecting chamber to the brush when the fan is in operation, said last means including means for directing the exhaust air from the fan to the brush adjacent its periphery thereof, and means controlled hy the blast of air for removing water in the format a spray from the collecting chamber.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, a base, a brush carried by said base and engaging with the floor, a collecting chamber positioned within the base and having an integral shield extending over the brush to define with the base a narrow slot through which the brush extends, said base and chamber defining a passage from the slot to the brush periphery, with the brush moving in the same direction as the'air blast. In order to assure a uniform distribution of the air under pressure from the dischar e side of the fan to the brush, where it engages the floor, the space between the bottom of the collecting chamber 58 and the base I is relatively narrow and shaped to provide a nozzle by the positioning of suitable packing material H0, which, as best shown in Fig. 4, is so located as to provide acontinuously increasing area for the passage of the air from the entrance ill to a point adjacent its discharge against the brushes. It will be obvious that the member 21 also aids in forming a nozzle arrangement by having its lower edge spaced above the bottom wall of the base I over the greater portion of its length, as indicated in Fig. 1, this spacing providing slots Ill through which the air is directed.

I claim:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a base, a removable collecting chamber positioned in the base, said base and chamber defining a suction opening adapted to be closely spaced from the surface being cleaned and a passage from said opening to the chamber, a cover hingedly mounted on the base and a filter member located above the collecting chamber and held in position by said cover, a fan hingedly mounted on the base, and means providing for passage of air from the cover to the fan through both hinge connections.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a base, a collecting chamber having a collecting pan within the base.

collecting chamber, a fan for providing a suction in the collecting chamber, a connection from the discharge side of the fan to the base for directing the discharged air to the brush adjacent the slot. and a pivotally mounted shield adapted to be moved into position to close the slot.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, a base, a brush carried by said base and engaging with the floor, a collecting chamber positioned within the base and having a shield extending over the brush to define with the base a narrow slot through which the brush extends, and a pivotally mounted shield adapted for swinging movement to close said slot.

5. In a vacuum cleaner, a. base, a collecting chamber having a collecting pan within said base, said collecting chamber and base defining a slot adapted to be closely spaced from the surface being cleaned and a passage from said slot to the collecting pan, a fan for providing suction in the collecting chamber, a filtering member between the collecting chamber and the fan, a hollow handle connected to the discharge side of the fan and a pneumatic connection from the handle to the base, said handle being releasable from the fan for use as a cleaning member, said base having a channel providing a passage for air from the point of attachment of said connection and the base to the slot through which the cleaning action takes place.

6. In a vacuum cleaner, a base adapted for movement over a surface being cleaned, a collect-' ing chamber within the base and forming with said base a slot and passage through which suction is normally directed to the fioor for cleaning, a fan having its suction side connected to the collecting chamber, a filter between the chamberand the fan, a flexible connection from the discharge side of the fan to the base for directing the discharged air to the cleaning slot in the base, said flexible connection being releasable from the.

discharge side of the fan, and means for. closing the slot in the base so that: the suction normally applied at said slot will be'applied at the end of the flexible connection, said base and collecting chamber defining a channel within the base which provides a connection between the cleaning slot and the connection from the discharge side of the fan.

WALTER C. JEROME. 

